[nc8000]

I bought some Audeze LCDs and have been able to use them with a 3.5mm adapter ok (I have a Nayparm modded WM1A running MrWalkman in higher gain). Is there a difference in circuitry between balanced and unbalanced? If the 3.5mm socket drives them fine, is there anything to be gained by using a 4.4mm terminated cable instead to use the balanced connector?

Yes the balanced circuits are seperate from the single ended, it has more power (not just more volume) and plays dsd natively (though I think WalkmanOne also does that on single ended as far as I recall)

 

[paul_uk_81]

So I managed to get a small 4.4mm to XLR adapter, the extra juice from the balanced output definitely seemed to help.

Not sure if someone that understands the science of it better can help explain, but on 3.5mm it seemed about as loud but much less defined (this is using my LCD4z). It had much better bass and treble response on the 4.4, and overall it sounded sharper.

 

[nc8000]

So I managed to get a small 4.4mm to XLR adapter, the extra juice from the balanced output definitely seemed to help.

Not sure if someone that understands the science of it better can help explain, but on 3.5mm it seemed about as loud but much less defined (this is using my LCD4z). It had much better bass and treble response on the 4.4, and overall it sounded sharper.

The 4.4 out has more power to control the drivers of the headphones. More power is about much more than loudness

 

[Quadfather]

I can safely say that Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7B is a phenomenal pairing from Sony NW-WM1Z. Sounds so damn good. Sibilance? What sibilance? There are several $2,000 plus headphones that I don't like nearly as much.

 

[gLer]

Quick poll for WM1Z and Z1R owners: what's your preferred gain/volume level with 1. IER and 2. MDR?

Mine is:

1. 85-100 LG
2. 85-100 HG

100 would be for high DR recordings only.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Quick poll for WM1Z and Z1R owners: what's your preferred gain/volume level with 1. IER and 2. MDR?

Mine is:

1. 85-100 LG
2. 85-100 HG

100 would be for high DR recordings only.

IER-Z1R: 45-60 HG
MDR-Z1R: 80-100 HG (from memory when I owned them)

dsf. can be a tad more depending on the recording, when I'm in bed I can go lower overall.

When the discussion has come up I have alternated between high and low, undecided, the most recent gain post had me go back to try low but I think I switched to high when I was trying my MDR-Z7 and forgot to switch back.

 

[gLer]

IER-Z1R: 45-65 HG
MDR-Z1R: 80-100 HG (from memory when I owned them)

dsf. can be a tad more depending on the recording, when I'm in bed I can go lower overall.

When the discussion has come up I have alternated between high and low, undecided, the most recent gain post had me go back to try low but I think I switched to high when I was trying my MDR-Z7 and forgot to switch back.

Yeah someone mentioned LG was the better choice, so I've stuck to LG with IER, otherwise the listening volume would be 10-20 points lower with HG and IER. And yes, DSD seems to need more juice.

 

[nc8000]

Quick poll for WM1Z and Z1R owners: what's your preferred gain/volume level with 1. IER and 2. MDR?

Mine is:

1. 85-100 LG
2. 85-100 HG

100 would be for high DR recordings only.

1. About 60-70 LG
2. About 80-90 LG but I hardly ever use this combo, the MDR are used with the TA

 

[ducnsh]

Yeah someone mentioned LG was the better choice, so I've stuck to LG with IER, otherwise the listening volume would be 10-20 points lower with HG and IER. And yes, DSD seems to need more juice.

Why LG is better?

 

[gLer]

Why LG is better?

I'm not sure, I think I read a comment from @Whitigir about this.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Coming from owning the XBA-Z5 which at that time was underpowered by some of the Walkmans like the A17 and ZX100 causing the bass to come across as 'muddy' it became widely accepted that high gain was best, even when the new ZX300 and WMs came out offering a more powerful balanced output.
I understand the logic of low gain but still carry a bit of the old mentality of a high power output setting being best for the those 16mm dynamic drivers.
We all choose aspects that either our brains or ears get hung up on, gain is one that I don't really focus on and have never settled 100% on either.

 

[proedros]

Why LG is better?

on my wm1a , i feel like LG gives a more spacious sound with emphasis on low-bass region, whereas the HG emphasizes the mid-bass area and makes the sound more in your fface

i tend to use the LG as my iems are easy to drive

 

[megapapa2022]

I bought my V60 to use on the go with wired IEMs but in truth all I use it for now is LDAC to Sony XM4. When I'm at home I have the Sony WM1Z and Z1R, and the V60 doesn't really play on the same field. That said I still use the V60/XM4 extensively at home, probably even more than the wired gear, purely for convenience (and easy calls). It's a brilliant phone, especially with the dual screen.

I had the same problem with my v60 too. I did discover the problem was not loose jack but dust and lint clogging up the hole. Using a paper clip to remove the dirt solved the problem. You might want to try that too.

Woops I was replying to someone comment about clogged headphone jack but it ended up here. Sorry.

 

[Hinomotocho]

I just noticed the production date for my 1Z purchased sealed/brand new in December 2021: 2019-12
I wonder how many batches are made and how long they sit around before being sold. I heard it isn't good for lithium batteries to sit around for long periods of time without charge/discharge?

 

[dennarwhal]

I just noticed the production date for my 1Z purchased sealed/brand new in December 2021: 2019-12
I wonder how many batches are made and how long they sit around before being sold. I heard it isn't good for lithium batteries to sit around for long periods of time without charge/discharge?

The one I bought in February 2022 was produced in May 2019. It has been sitting in that box for close to 4 years but I have no issues with it. If I am filling up for it, I will just walk to Sony and ask them for a battery replacement while still under warranty.